1 Welcome to Worship Ash Wednesday Grace Lutheran Church Companion Congregation: Msindo Parish in Tanzania March 6, 2019 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Liturgical worship with organ Setting 2
Opening Hymn We are a singing church, so we follow the advice of the apostle Paul to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16). Reading Notes Because of the coming Day of the Lord, the prophet Joel calls the people to a community lament. The repentant community reminds God of his gracious character and asks God to spare the people, lest the nations doubt God s power to save. Prelude Adagio from his string quartet Barber (please prepare for worship through quiet reflection and meditation) Welcome and Greeting P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: And also with you. Prayer of the Day P: Let us pray, C: Almighty and ever-living God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and honest hearts, so that, truly repenting of our sins, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy, full pardon and forgiveness through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Gathering Hymn Abide With Me #629 Please be seated First Reading Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come. 12 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, Where is their God? L: The Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God 2
6:30 p.m. Only Chancel Choir Psalm 51:1-17 All Things of Dust to Dust Return arr. John Ferguson 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; in your great compassion blot out my offenses. 2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my offenses, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are justified when you speak and right in your judgment. R 5 Indeed, I was born steeped in wickedness, a sinner from my mother s womb. 6 Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me, and would have me know wisdom deep within. 7 Remove my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be purer than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; that the body you have broken may rejoice. R 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my wickedness. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. R 13 Let me teach your ways to offenders, and sinners shall be restored to you. 14 Rescue me from bloodshed, O God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. 16 For you take no delight in sacrifice, or I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a troubled and broken heart, O God, you will not despise. R 3
Gospel The Gospel Lesson is a selection from the accounts of the life of our Lord recorded by the four evangelists, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John. Because Christ is with us in the Gospel reading, we stand to honor his presence. We also sing short verses before and after the reading of the Gospel. Gospel Notes In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commends almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, but emphasizes that spiritual devotion must not be done for show. 4 Please stand as you are able Gospel Acclamation Gospel Acclamation P: The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew, the Sixth Chapter. C:Glory to you, O Lord. Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 Jesus said to the disciples: 1 Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16 And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
P: The Gospel of the Lord C: Praise to you, O Christ Please be seated Sermon Why go to church? Please stand as you are able Hymn of the Day Restore in Us, O God #328 Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Prayers of the People P: Hear us, O God. C: Your mercy is great. P: Reveal your will as you receive our prayers, and conform our ways to your ways; through the saving work of Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen. All: God of love, have mercy on us. Pour out your Spirit upon us. Center us in worship. Hold us in grace. Strengthen us in love. Send us forth in mission. In Jesus holy name. Amen. Passing of the Peace P: The peace of the Lord be with you all, C: And also with you! 5 Creed The Creed is our response to God's speaking to us. Martyrs and saints have been confessing this creed since 325 A.D. The word "creed" comes from the Latin "credo" which means, "I believe!" Prayers of the People This prayer in the service follows the directive of the Apostle Paul to young Timothy, a pastor: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for Kings and all those in authority, that we may live in peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Please be seated Announcements The Offering Offertory Solemn Melody Dixon Please stand as you are able Offering Prayer P: Generous God, you feed us with the harvest of the land, and you provide for our every need. Receive our gifts of money, imagination, and labor, and transform them into a feast that welcomes all, in Jesus Christ, our host and our guest. C: Amen Invitation to Lent P: Friends in Christ, today with the whole church we enter the time of remembering Jesus' passover from death to life, and our life in Christ is renewed. We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and for God's mercy. We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors, and creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our creator intended. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent selfexamination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus' death and resurrection. Words of Institution P: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you, Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in by blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. For as often we eat of this bread and drink from this cup we proclaim our Lord s death until he comes. 6 P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. Lord s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen Invitation to the Table P: Christ has prepared the feast. Come to the table where all are welcomed home. Please be seated Lamb of God Distribution Hymns 472(3x), 751(3x), 777, 779, 466, 518 Communion and Imposition of Ashes P: Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation, C: that we may show forth your glory in the world. Instructions for Communion and the Imposition of Ashes We will take part in the Imposition of Ashes and distribution of Holy Communion at the same time today. Please come forward and if you would like to receive ashes, please stop at the station. After receiving ashes, please continue forward. Proceed to the kneeler, filling in from the outside toward the center. Receive a cup. Receive and eat the host (wafer). Gluten free wafers are available by request. Proceed to the wine or grape juice. P: By the cross and Passion of your Son, our Lord, 7
C: bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection. P: Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not desire the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live. Therefore we implore him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on this day, that the rest of our life may be pure and holy, and that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen Blessing Here as we leave to continue our journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, God uses the pastor to say words that were said first through Aaron in the wilderness more than 3,000 years ago. Prayer after Communion P: Tender and merciful one, at your feast, you fed us who brought nothing, turning our emptiness into joy. Filled with your abundant grace, send us now to be ministers of reconciliation, mending broken hearts, working for justice, and striving for peace among all people, in the name of Jesus Christ. C: Amen Blessing P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord's face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. Sending Hymn Bless Now, O God, the Journey #326 Dismissal P: Go in peace. Remember the poor. C: Thanks be to God. Postlude Little Prelude and Fugue in G-Minor Bach Grace Lutheran Church 5201 Urbandale Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50310 Office hours: Mon-Thur.9 a.m. 2 p.m. Pastor Michael Schmidt 515-276-6873 mike@gracedm.org 8